The Vatican Information Service is a news service, founded in the Holy See Press Office, that provides information about the Magisterium and the pastoral activities of the Holy Father and the Roman Curia...[+]

Last 5 news

Monday, February 1, 2016

Vatican City, 1 February 2016 (VIS) –
The Year of Consecrated Life, convoked by Pope Francis at the end of
2014 and which began with a prayer vigil in November of the same year
in the Roman basilica of St. Mary Major, closes tomorrow with a
solemn Mass celebrated by the Holy Father in St. Peter's Basilica.
Along the way there have been events, seminars, chains of prayer in
monasteries around the world, and an encounter between consecrated
persons of different Christian confessions which, the Pontiff
affirmed, is an initiative that it would be useful to continue.

This morning in the Paul VI Hall the
Pope received in audience the participants in the Jubilee of
Consecrated Life, the final event of the Year. He addressed some
extemporaneous remarks to those present, setting aside the text
previously prepared for the occasion, extensive extracts of which are
reproduced below:

"One day Jesus, in His infinite
mercy, addressed each one of us and told us personally, 'Come'. If we
are here it is because we answered 'yes', at times with an adhesion
full of enthusiasm and joy, at other times more difficult, perhaps
uncertain", but always "with generosity, letting ourselves
be guided along paths that we would not even have imagined",
learning from Christ "the relationship with the Father,
receiving His Spirit, learning to love the poor and sinners. We have
followed Him together, learning service, acceptance, forgiveness and
fraternal charity from Him. Our consecrated life has meaning because
staying with Him and taking Him with us along the streets of the
world, conforms us to Him, makes us Church, a gift for humanity".

"The Year that is coming to an
end, but our commitment to staying faithful to the call we have
received and to growing in love, giving and creativity, continues.
Therefore I would like to leave you with three words. … The first
word is prophecy, characteristic of consecrated life. … You are
called, first and foremost, to proclaim with your life, before your
words, the reality of God: to say God. If at times He is denied or
marginalised or ignored, we must ask ourselves if perhaps we have not
allowed His face to be transparent, instead showing our own. The face
of God is that of a Father, 'merciful and gracious, slow to anger and
abounding in steadfast love'".

The second word is closeness. "God,
in Jesus, comes close to every man and every woman: He has shared in
the joy of the spouses in Cana of Galilee and the anguish of the
widow of Nain; He enters into the house of Jairus, touched by death,
and the house of Bethany, perfumed with nard; He took upon Himself
illness and suffering, to the point of giving His life in ransom.
Following Christ means going where He went; taking upon onself, like
the good Samaritan, the wounded we encounter along the road; going in
search of the lost sheep. To be, like Jesus, close to the people;
sharing their joys and pains, showing with our love the paternal face
of God and the maternal caress of the Church. May no-one ever feel
distant, detached, closed or barren. Each one of you is called upon
to serve your brothers, following your own charism: with prayer, with
catechesis, with teaching, with the care of the sick or the poor,
announcing the Gospel, or performing the various works of mercy. The
important thing is not to live for yourselves, just as Jesus did not
live for Himself, but for the Father and for us".

Finally, hope: bearing witness to God
and His merciful love, consecrated men and women can inspire hope in
our humanity, "marked by so anguish and fear, and at times
tempted to be discouraged. You can enable the renewing force of the
beatitudes to be felt; of honesty and compassion, the value of
goodness, of the simple life, essential and full of meaning. And you
can nurture hope in the Church too. I think for example of ecumenical
dialogue. The charismatic and prophetic witness of consecrated life
in the variety of its forms can help us to acknowledge ourselves as
more united and can promote full communion".

"In your daily apostolate, do not
let yourselves be conditioned by your age or number. What counts is
the capacity to repeat the initial 'yes' to the call from Jesus that
continues to be heard, in an ever new way, in every season of life.
His call and our response keep our hope alive. Prophecy, closeness,
hope. Living in this way, you will have joy in your heart, the
distinctive sign of Jesus' followers and, in particular, of
consecrated persons".

Vatican City, 1 February 2016 (VIS) –
The Holy Father's universal prayer intention for February is: “That
we may take good care of creation – a gift freely given –
cultivating and protecting it for future generations”.

His intention for evangelisation is:
“That opportunities may increase for dialogue and encounter between
the Christian faith and the peoples of Asia”.

Vatican City, 1 February 2016 (VIS) –
Yesterday, 31 January, with the Holy Mass presided by Cardinal
Charles Maung Bo, S.D.B., archbishop of Yangon, Myanmar, the
pontifical legate closed the 51st International Eucharistic Council,
which began on 24 January in Cebu, Philippines, on the theme "Christ
in you, our hope of glory: the Eucharist, source and goal of the
Church's mission".

Following the Eucharistic celebration,
a video message from Pope Francis was broadcast, in which he
emphasises that the theme of the Congress "reminds us that the
risen Jesus always lives and is present in His Church, above all in
the Eucharist, the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. Christ’s
presence among us is not only a consolation, but also a promise and a
summons. It is a promise that everlasting joy and peace will one day
be ours in the fullness of his Kingdom. But it is also a summons to
go forth, as missionaries, to bring the message of the Father’s
tenderness, forgiveness and mercy to every man, woman and child".

The Holy Father invites reflection on
two gestures of Jesus at the Last Supper: table fellowship and the
washing of feet. With regard to the former, he recalls how important
it was for Jesus to share meals with his disciples, but also, and
especially, with sinners and the outcast. "Sitting at the table,
Jesus was able to listen to others, to hear their stories, to
appreciate their hopes and aspirations, and to speak to them of the
Father’s love. At each Eucharist, the table of the Lord’s Supper,
we should be inspired to follow His example, by reaching out to
others, in a spirit of respect and openness, in order to share with
them the gift we ourselves have received".

This is especially important in Asia,
where the Church is committed to "respectful dialogue with the
followers of other religions" and where "this prophetic
witness most often takes place, as we know, through the dialogue of
life". Through the testimony of "lives transformed by God’s
love, we best proclaim the Kingdom’s promise of reconciliation,
justice and unity for the human family. Our example can open hearts
to the grace of the Holy Spirit, Who leads them to Christ the
Saviour".

The other gesture, the washing of feet,
is "a sign of humble service, of the unconditional love with
which He gave his life on the Cross for the salvation of the world.
The Eucharist is a school of humble service. It teaches us readiness
to be there for others. This too is at the heart of missionary
discipleship". The Pope gives the example of the aftermath of
the typhoon that brought immense devastation to the Philippines, yet
it also brought in its wake an immense outpouring of solidarity,
generosity and goodness. "People set about rebuilding not just
homes, but lives. The Eucharist speaks to us of that power, which
flows from the Cross and constantly brings new life. It changes
hearts. It enables us to be caring, to protect the poor and the
vulnerable, and to be sensitive to the cry of our brothers and
sisters in need. It teaches us to act with integrity and to reject
the injustice and corruption which poison the roots of society".

Pope Francis concluded by announcing
that the next International Eucharistic Congress will take place in
2020 in Budapest, Hungary.

Vatican City, 31 January 2016 (VIS) –
At midday today the Pope prayed the Angelus with the pilgrims and
faithful in St. Peter's Square. Beforehand he commented on the day's
Gospel reading, which "like last Sunday leads us to the
synagogue of Nazareth, the village of Galilee where Jesus grew up in
His family and was known to all. He had left shortly before to begin
His public life, but returns for the first time and presents Himself
to the community, gathered on the Sabbath in the synagogue. He reads
the passage from the prophet Isaiah, who speaks about the future
messiah, and at the end declares: 'Today this Scripture passage is
fulfilled in your hearing'. His fellow townspeople, at first
surprised and admiring, began to sneer and murmur among themselves,
and to say, 'why does this man who claims to be the Consecrated of
the Lord not repeat here the works and miracles that He did in
Capernaum and the other nearby towns?'. Jesus then declares, 'No
prophet is accepted in his own native place', and recalls the great
prophets of the past, Elijah and Elisha, who worked miracles for the
pagans in order to denounce the lack of faith of their people. At
this point, those present are offended, they rise in indignation,
they drive Jesus out of the town and want to throw Him over a
precipice. But He, with the strength of His peace, 'passed through
the midst of them and went away'. His hour had not yet come".

The Pope explained that this account of
the Evangelist Luke is not simply the story of a community dispute,
as can sometimes happen in our own neighbourhoods too, caused by envy
and jealousies, but also brings to light a temptation that a
religious person is always vulnerable to — we are all vulnerable to
it — and which we must certainly avoid. … It is the temptation to
consider religion as a human investment and thus to 'negotiate' with
God, seeking our own interests. Instead, true religion is receiving
the revelation of a God Who is the Father and Who cares for every one
of his creatures, even the smallest and least significant in the eyes
of man. This is precisely what Jesus’ prophetic ministry consists
of: announcing that no human condition can be a motive for exclusion
… from the heart of the Father, and that the only privilege in the
eyes of God is that of not having privileges. The only privilege in
the eyes of God is that of not having privileges, of not having
protectors, of abandoning oneself in His hands".

“The 'today' proclaimed by Christ
that day applies to every day; it resonates for us in this Square
too, reminding us of the current importance of and need for salvation
brought by Jesus to humanity. God goes out towards the men and women
of all times and places in the concrete situations in which they find
themselves. He also comes out towards us. He is always the one Who
takes the first step. He comes to visit us with His mercy, to lift us
from the dust of our sin; He comes to extend His hand to lift us from
the abyss in which our pride has caused us to fall, and He invites us
to welcome the consoling truth of the Gospel and to walk the paths of
righteousness. He always comes to find us, to seek us".

Francis concluded by invoking Our Lady,
explaining that the situation was a foretaste of what she would
suffer below the Cross, seeing her Son in the synagogue, "first
admired, then challenged, then insulted, and threatened with death.
In her heart, filled with faith, she conserved all these things".

Vatican City, 31 January 2016 (VIS) –
Following today's Marian prayer the Pope greeted all the pilgrims
gathered in St. Peter's Square and mentioned that today is World
Leprosy Day. "This illness, although in regression,
unfortunately still afflicts the poorest and most marginalised
people. It is important to keep alive our solidarity with these
brothers and sisters who are incapacitated by this disease. We assure
them of our prayers and of our support to those who assist them. Well
done to these laypeople, these nuns, these priests".

The Holy Father also dedicated some
words to a group of young people from Catholic Action of the diocese
of Rome, who have come to the end of their Caravan of Peace. He
encouraged them to be instruments of peace and mercy among their
peers, so that this year their "witness of peace, inspired by
faith in Jesus, may be even more joyful and aware, enriched by the
gesture of passing through the Holy Door". A group of young
people read the Message aloud and released balloons in the square as
a symbol of peace.

Vatican City, 30 January 2016 (VIS) –
Pope Francis dedicated the first of his Jubilee audiences to the
theme "Mercy and Mission". The Jubilee audiences are an
initiative of the Holy Father during the Holy Year, enabling those
who are unable to attend the Wednesday general audiences to
participate in his catechesis. On this occasion more than 22,000
people were present in St. Peter's Square.

"Day by day we enter into the life
of this Holy Year of Mercy. With His grace, the Lord guides our steps
as we cross the Holy Door and comes towards us so as to stay always
with us, despite our shortcomings and our contradictions. Let us
never tire of asking His forgiveness, as when we are weak His
closeness makes us stronger and allows us to live our faith with
greater joy".

Referring to the close link between
mercy and mission, Francis underlined that as Christians we have the
responsibility to be missionaries of the Gospel. "When we
receive good news or have a good experience it is natural that we
wish to communicate it to others. … The joy we feel inspires us to
do so. It should be the same when we encounter the Lord. Indeed, the
concrete sign we have truly encountered Jesus is the joy we feel in
communicating this to others too. This is not proselytism, but rather
it is a gift: I give you what makes me joyful. Reading the Gospel we
see that this was also the experience of the first disciples. …
Encountering Jesus is the same as encountering His love. This love
transforms us and makes us able to transmit to others the strength
that it gives us".

"We could say that the day of our
Baptism each one of us is given another name alongside the one we
receive from our mother and father, and this name is 'Christopher',
which means 'Christ-bearer'. The name of our approach, as bearers of
Christ's joy and mercy", remarked the Holy Father. "The
Christian is a bearer of Christ. … But the mercy we receive from
the Father is not given to us as a private consolation, but rather
makes us instruments to enable others to receive the same gift. There
is a wonderful circularity between mercy and mission".

"Living mercy makes us
missionaries of mercy, and being missionaries enables us increasingly
to grow in God's mercy. So, let us take seriously the fact of being
Christians, and let us commit ourselves to living as believers,
because only in this way may the Gospel touch the people's hearts,
opening them to receive the grace of love", concluded the Holy
Father.

Vatican City, 30 January 2016 (VIS) –
Following his catechesis the Pope greeted, among others, the Italian
faithful including members of the National Association of Maimed and
Injured Workers (ANMIL), whose presence offered the Holy Father the
opportunity to reiterate the importance of protecting workers' health
and safety and defending human life, a gift from God, especially when
it is at its weakest and most fragile.

He also addressed the managers and
employees of Rome's transport agency, ATAC, encouraging them in their
work as today, he said, "the quality of social life depends
greatly on the quality of transport". He expressed his hope for
increased efforts to reduced pollution and thanked ATAC employees for
their service to pilgrims, especially during the Jubilee Year.

Finally, he greeted the young, the sick
and newly-weds. "Tomorrow we commemorate St. John Bosco, the
apostle of youth. Look to him, dear young people, as an exemplary
educator. You, dear sick people, may learn from his spiritual
experience always to trust in the crucified Christ. And you, dear
newly-weds, ask his intercession so as to take on your conjugal
mission with generous commitment".

Vatican City, 1 February 2016 (VIS) –
This morning a press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office
to present the book "Witnesses of the Resurrected", the
proceedings of the annual formation course for new bishops organised
by the Congregation for Bishops, edited by the Vatican Publishing
House (LEV). The speakers were Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect
of the Congregation for Bishops; Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari,
secretary of the same Congregation, and Archbishop Francesco Cacucci
of Bari-Bitonto, rapporteur of the Course.

"This experience began from afar",
said Cardinal Ouellet. "Indeed, the Synods held during the last
decades have shown that there is a need for the formation of all
those who form part of the Church: laypeople, priests, men and women
religious, and also bishops. … In the light of these declarations,
the Congregation for Bishops, after careful discernment, began its
experience of the course for new bishops. The first event,
coordinated by the then-prefect, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, was
carried out in late June and early July 2001. The next will therefore
be the sixteenth edition. Bishops from all over the world will travel
to Rome for this initiative, under the patronage of the Congregation
for Bishops, in collaboration with the Congregation for the Oriental
Churches and, occasionally, the Congregation for the Evangelisation
of Peoples".

"This means that more than 1500
bishops have started their pastoral mission via this experience of
eight or nine days of cohabitation, fraternal exchange, conferences,
debates and, above all, encounters with the Holy Father and
representatives of the Curia Romana and the episcopate worldwide. The
content shared in this course is published in this book and made
available to the public, to allow observations and suggestions to be
made that may be useful for improving the experience".

Archbishop Francesco Cacucci explained
that "in a moment of hyperactivity and fragmentation, the bishop
is called upon today more than ever to be a man of synthesis and to
help priests, "brothers and friends", to share the
essential. … The Congress of Italian Churches, held in Florence
last November, was encouraged by the Holy Father to live an effective
synodality. Walking together (synod) with priests, consecrated
persons and laypeople may be tiresome but it is an expression of
love, of the communion in the Church. It may be said, after St.
Augustine, that when one loves, even hardship is beloved. Therefore,
to be a 'witness of the Resurrecetd', the bishop is called upon to be
a man of prayer, especially of prayer for intercession".

Archbishop Ilson de Jesus Montanari
added that during these sixteen years the number of bishops
participating has always been more than a hundred, and explained that
after the first meetings, the Congregation for Oriental Churches
joined in the experience, sending more bishops. "This presence
has enabled us to obtain a better knowledge of the situation of these
churches, which often face problems or are in minority situations, so
as to strengthen fraternal relations with them", he concluded.

Vatican City, 30 January 2016 (VIS) –
In a letter published today, written in Latin and dated 12 January,
the Holy Father appoints Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, president of
the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers (for Health Pastoral
Care) as his special envoy at the celebration of the World Day of the
Sick, to be held in Nazareth on 11 February 2016.

- Fr. Virgilio Do Carmo Da Silva,
S.D.B., as bishop of Dili (area 4,750, population 595,000, Catholics
562,000, priests 133, permanent deacons 1, religious 502), East
Timor. The bishop-elect was born in Venilale, East Timor in 1967,
gave his religious vows in 1997 and was ordained a priest in 1998. He
has served in a number of pastoral roles including formator of
novices, bursar of the House of Formation in Venilale and parish
vicar, master of novices, and director of the House of Salesians and
the Don Bosco Technical School in Fatumaca. He is currently
provincial of the Salesians.

- Fr. Carlos Alberto Salcedo Ojeda,
O.M.I., as auxiliary of Huancayo (area 4,750, population 595,000,
Catholics 562,000, priests 133, permanent deacons 1, religious 425),
Peru. The bishop-elect was born in Comas, Peru in 1960, gave his
religious vows in 1993 and was ordained a priest in 1996. He has
served in a number of pastoral roles, including parish vicar, parish
priest, counsellor of the delegation of Oblate Missionaries of Mary
Immaculate in Peru, director of the pre-novitiate "St. Eugene
Mazenod" in Lima, secretary of the O.M.I. team for the formation
of the Latin America region and assistant to the master of novices of
the international novitiate in Asuncion, Paraguay. He is currently
episcopal vicar in the archdiocese of Huancayo, parish priest, and
coordinator of the Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of the
Oblate Delegation in Peru.